Designer - Marjan van Aubel

Understanding that processing wood from planks to products incurs 50% to 80% of timber wastage during normal manufacture, Marjan van Aubel and James Shaw looked at ways of incorporating waste shavings into design using bio-resin. A curious chemical reaction occurs when it is mixed with the shavings, expanding it into a foamed structure. By adding colour dye and varied-sized shavings from different workshop machines, a colourful, lightweight and mouldable material was created, reinforced by the fibres in the hardwood shavings. The porridge-like mixture of resin and shavings are applied to the underside of the chair shell by hand, building up the material wherever extra strength is required. The mixture then foams explosively to create its own exuberant form, anchored by the simple turned legs of American ash. This chair was developed with the support of the American Hardwood Export Council it was one of the first pieces of furniture to be subjected to Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), measuring its total environmental impact across its production and usage. The Well Proven Chair has been nominated for the Design of the Year 2013 Award and will be seen at the Design Museum in London.

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